mythology_and_talesfandomcom-20200213-history
Zeus
Name and Known As: Zeus (zoose or zyoose) is known as the "Father of Gods and men", the "Supreme ruler of Mount Olympus" , "God of sky and weather", "God of Law", "God of Order" and "God of Fate" Unlike many Greek divinities, the origins of Zeus' name are undisputed. "Zeus" is connected with an ancient Indo-European deity Dyeus, which roughly translates as 'sky', 'day' (as opposed to night) and 'clear'. All of these point to his role as a god of the heavens, the sky and thunder. Birth: Zeus is most commonly believed to have been born in a cave on Mount Ida on the island of Crete where he took ashore Europa at the beach of Matala. The Cave of Psychro or Diktaean Cave above the Lassithi Plain is also said to be his birthplace. His mother is Rhea and his father is Kronos; things got off to a rocky start as Kronos, fearful of being usurped, kept eating Rhea's children. Finally, she got wise after giving birth to Zeus and subsituted a swaddled rock for her husband's snack. Zeus conquered his father and freed his siblings, who were still living in Kronos' stomach. Children Of Zeus: These are the Children of Zeus. 2029 aglaea euphrosyne and thalia three graces.jpg|The Graces Aletheia.jpg|Aletheia Athena_column-Academy_of_Athens.jpg|Athena artemis1.jpg|Artemis Sons: Ares " God of War " 'Daughters: ' *The Grace Aglaea "Beauty or Splendor." * The Grace Euphrosyne "Joy or Mirth" * The Grace Thalia "Good Cheer" *Aletheia "The Spirit of Truth, Truthfulness and Sincerity" *Athena "Goddess of Wisdom, Courage, Inspiration, Civilization, Law and Justice, Just Warfare, Mathematics, Strength, Strategy, The Arts, Crafts, and Skill." *Artemis "Goddess of The Wilderness, The Hunt, Wild Animals, Fertility and Childbirth." Symbols of Zeus: In art Zeus was represented as a bearded, dignified, and mature man of stalwart build; his most prominent symbols were the thunderbolt and the eagle. Though he is also ofen shown with a Oak Tree branch and Secpter. Cult Of Zeus: Although, as the major god of the Greek pantheon, Zeus had cult sites all over Greece, his largest and most famous panhellenic precinct was at Olympia. It was at this site that the Ancient Olympic games originated, and men from all over Greece would collect there in order to compete against each other for their own honour and that of their city state. These games were highly politicised, with often warring cities competing against each other for the glory and prestige of victory. In fact, although it was normal for panhellenic precincts to have treasuries in which to keep the votive offerings of different cities, the treasuries at Olympia were situated on the main road through the site, thus encouraging gifts as no city wanted to be shown-up by their neighbours for not having given sufficient gifts. The temple of Zeus at Olympia was the home of the famous statue of Zeus (see Figure 2) now lost, it was one of the wonders of the ancient world and Pausanias (an ancient Greek travel writer) urges any visitor to Olympia to experience it. The cult site of Olympia may have been the largest in existence, but there were other sites all over Greece, each with slightly different ideas about Zeus, his role and how one should worship him. For instance, Herodotus tells us that Zeus was often perceived as a weather god, and thus his worship was often concentrated on mountaintops, close to the sky. The most important of Zeus' mountain-sites was, of course, Mount Olympus, although there is no archaeological evidence for a peak-sanctuary, it is likely there was either some sort of precinct on the mountainside, or that Olympian rituals were carried out there. Such sanctuaries have, however, been excavated elsewhere, e.g. on Mount Hymettus, and it appears as though these were mostly associated with rain rituals. Albeit rarely, Zeus is sometimes referred to in ritual contexts as 'he who signals' or 'he of the omens', thus suggesting that he performed some sort of Oracular role. As Zeus was an embodiment of Fate amongst other things, it seems appropriate that he be asked for omens rather than specific divine favours as no amount of prayer will enable Zeus to go against the course of Fate. This aspect of Zeus is further illustrated by a few oracular sites, at Dodona in Epirus (reported to be the oldest oracle in the Greek world, active until the late Hellestic eraas well as at Siwa in Egypt. Hornblower states that the priests of the oracle would interpret messages given by the god, in the forms of the flight paths of birds in and around the holy oak trees, divination by drawing lots (cleromancy), by the sounds of a gong and/or the song of nearby birds. Zeus was traditionally represented as a fully grown man. The cult on Crete, however, appears to have worshipped Zeus as an ephebe as all the art depicting him shows a long-haired youth on the verge of manhood. Category:Greek Mythology Category:Greek Gods Category:Zeus